1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bill processor which is used in such devices as vending machines, money exchangers or money service machines to judge the genuineness of bills inserted into the processors and receive and store bills judged as genuine, and more particularly to a bill processor capable of preventing liquid entering through a bill inlet of the bill processor from flowing into the device on which the bill processor is mounted.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a vending machine, a money exchanger or a money service device is provided with a bill processor which judges the genuineness of an inserted bill and receives and stores only bills which are judged as genuine.
Referring to FIG. 13 illustrating a conventional bill processor 1 provided within a device such as a vending machine, the bill processor 1 has a body 2 being substantially L-shaped as viewed from its side, and a protruded front cover 4 having a bill inlet 3 disposed at a front lower end of the body 2.
The bill processor 1 is mounted on a door 5, which is a front panel of the vending machine, such that the protruded front cover 4 is exposed outside the door 5 so that a bill is inserted through the bill inlet 3. When a bill is inserted into the bill inlet 3, a bill sensor (not shown) disposed directly downstream of the bill inlet 3 senses the inserted bill to produce a bill detection signal.
A first conveyor belt 7 and a second conveyor belt 8 which constitute a first bill conveyance path 6 are provided directly downstream of the bill inlet 3. A drive motor (not shown) is disposed which drives the second conveyor belt 8 such that the first conveyor belt 7 is driven following the second conveyor belt 8.
In response to the bill detection signal, the first conveyer belt 7 is driven forward (clockwise) and the second conveyer belt 8 is driven backward (counterclockwise) so as to convey the bill horizontally into the body 2.
A bill validator (not shown) is disposed substantially at a midpoint along the first bill conveyance path 6. The bill conveyed horizontally the forward movement of the first conveyor belt 7, its genuineness is judged by the bill validator.
When the bill is judged as a false one, the first conveyor belt 7 is reversed (counterclockwise) to return the bill to outside the bill inlet 3. At this time, the second conveyor belt 8 is also reversed (clockwise).
When the bill is judged as a genuine one, the first conveyor belt 7 and the second conveyor belt 8 continue to be driven forward and backward, respectively, in response to the detection signal so that the bill is conveyed upward within the body 2 along a second bill conveyance path 9 which includes the upstanding second conveyor belt 8 and then stacked and received on a stacker 10A provided behind the body 2.
In the conventional bill processor 1, when drops of rain or adhesive liquid such as detergent flows into the bill inlet 3 as shown by an arrow A, the liquid falls below the bill inlet 3 or through the first bill conveyance path 6 downward onto the periphery of a bottom plate 11A of the body 2, then leak from below the body 2 and flow into the inside of the vending machine where the bill processor 1 is mounted.
The liquid would adhere to the various components of the vending machine such as driving members, printed circuit boards or electronic devices to cause these components to malfunction. As a result, the vending machine on which the bill processor 1 is mounted may stop its operation.